Where there's smoke, there's flavor
Jun. 21—There's regular barbecue, and then there's barbecuing meats with smoke.
For those unfamiliar, the process is more involved than putting hamburgers, steaks and chicken on the grill. Rubs, marinades and brines are a much bigger part of the process, and smoking meats takes longer — i.e., more planning — than just throwing some meat on the grill.
Despite the added effort, smoking is also moving from barbecue restaurants to our backyards, mostly thanks to all the equipment that both makes smoking more accessible and, usually, easier. In our northern climate, smoking meat is much more of a summer thing, though aficionados will certainly smoke delicious meals any time of year.
To get a sense of what smoking involves I went to Smoak BBQ, the popular barbecue restaurant on West Circle Drive. There, Nick Bongle, executive chef, gave me a mini-tutorial on what's involved.
"I get here around 6 a.m., fire up the smokers and prepare the meats with our special house rub. By 6:30 they're in the smoker," Bongle said.
That morning there were ribs, lots of them, and pork butts lined up on individual racks that circulated around the inside of the smoker. It's an impressive set-up with two huge smokers that can hold 1,200 pounds of meat, though "we seldom have that much unless a special event is going on," he said. A third smaller, portable smoker sits outside but doesn't see much action.
So how should the home cook approach this way of cooking/preparing meats? It starts with the grill, which can range from the well-known low-tech Weber Smokey Mountain barrel-shaped smoker to the high-tech Traeger grills and smokers that connect to your cell phone. Smoke and heat come from charcoal and wood chips to electricity and pellets. A great place to learn more is Destination Barbecue, 497 37th St. NE.
Of the fancier options like the Traegers, Bongle said. "You set it up and forget it for the next five to eight hours."
That's not the case with the barrel that runs on charcoal and wood chips, which requires a bit more supervision. If going old school, Bongle suggested setting up the briquettes in a snake-like pattern so that when lit each will catch individually. The meat is on the far side and a pan with water on the other side. The water helps keep moisture in the meat. The wood smoke is what flavors the meat.
Depending on what you're smoking, grill temperatures should range from 200 to 220 degrees. To be safe, most meats need to be cooked to internal temperature of 145 degrees and poultry to 165. For a real tender barbecue, you want a final temperature of about 180.
The wood should be hot, but not on fire. Also watch the smoke — more is not necessarily better.
And Bongle was adamant about this: "Don't lift up the lid. The heat needs to stay in."
For charcoal smokers, you control the heat by opening the bottom and top vents just a little bit. Also start the smoking process earlier than you think — you can't rush great smoked meat as "low and slow" are the key words. What determines the cooking time is the type of meat, its thickness and the temperature. Don't be surprised if it takes six to eight hours or more. Also very important: Let the meat "rest" when you take it out, at least an hour, to allow the juices to stabilize.
So what meats do well smoked?
Actually you can smoke all sorts of meat and poultry, but the most popular, and maybe the easiest, is a pork butt. Brisket and spareribs also are high on the list. Chicken is a good choice and doesn't take as long, maybe 2-4 hours. Turkey is also showing up. Going beyond regular grilling, smoking has a depth of texture and flavor that makes it unique from other cooking techniques. An important ingredient however: patience.
In addition to Smoak there are other barbecue places I talked to or visited, including John Hardy's, which recently celebrated 50 years in Rochester. They also have a large smoker fired with wood that smokes 90 pounds of pork a day as well as ribs and turkey. In Stewartville, 2 Brothers Bar and Grill is known for their barbecue. Their smoker, fired with cherry wood and red oak, does its job twice a week. Favorites there are brisket and pork, both pulled, as well as turkey. You can sample what they have at Thursday's Downtown.
Here's a rub recipe for you to try: Spice rub for pork or beef
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon Coleman's dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl or jar. Store for several months. To use, prepare meat by drying with a paper towel and, in the case or ribs, removing the membrane. For best results let meat marinate in the rub for two hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator before cooking.
Post Bulletin food writer Holly Ebel knows what's cookin'. Send comments or story tips to
.
